R.I.P.

R.I.P.

Rest In peace; the newest /oldest abbreviation which one uses to discharge one’s duty to absolve one of the obligation towards the departed. These days, keeping in mind the pace of life, which is so fast that it is whizzing by and all one can offer is condolences on the web page via social networking, a SMS or the quickest a three-word abbreviation.

Who suffers? Who gets affected? Do we pay attention to the events that led to a person to take the extreme step of committing suicide? What did Akanksha feel, why was she at the lowest ebb that she ended her life, not even giving a thought to her son her parents who have been left behind?

It all remains a mystery, never to be solved, etched forever on the annals of history.

Why has the society become so hard, so nonchalant over the passing away of an educated computer literate woman who was loved by many? Her passing away has led to her students being shocked, stunned and upset. The deep scar that this incident has left needs to be looked into, as these nubile young minds get impressed and it makes them question the holy grail of Indian society aka Matrimony.

Is marriage fundamentally important for the continuation of the species? What does a women get? Does she get security, love, most importantly self respect, a respect of the fact that forget that she is a woman but first of all she is a human being?

Where did in the scheme of things, did humanity, society forget this? Why have we all go so wrapped in our cubby holes of lives that these things don’t touch us than a mere candle light vigil, a face book page, a passing drawing room reference and the customary obligatory tsk tsks?

In fact, the Indian society is so de- sensitized that nothing shocks us. Nancy Chawla Sarkaria, remarks, ‘what a shame. So unfortunate that society hasn’t changed much. Wish there was a way to educate these people (men and women both).

Yes, education is the key step, but what happens when an educated women ends her life after mental physical harassment to bring dowry or is tortured. Akanksha did this. She is one of those innumerous statistics, which make material for thesis done by researchers or power point presentations, but are the so-called perpetuators ever brought to justice.

As a society to move forward to be free of mind spirit we need to take strict action. It is easy to blame the women and say she needed to be strong and till we are in the person’s footsteps it is not decent to comment. I blame the law, the connections that allow one to escape, to have a delayed sentence or the most convenient excuse: shortness of breath leading to angina. Get a life! Till we do not value women as an equal all the farce of development is just eyewash. A country that talks of reservation, of development for women is indeed making a mockery of the tenets of the constitution, which laid the foundations of the youngest democracy of the world. India can only be great only and only if women are safe and allowed to live, love to lead a life that is sanctified by the Creator. A woman is as equal as a man and to put a value in monetary terms is derogatory. It’s like buying cattle.

I wish and pray that we do wake up form the slumber which has infested all of us that we pass a glance and move to the next news thinking fleetingly that this keeps on happening. Changing one’s own attitude is the first step and collectively we might come back on track to save other Akanksha’s , who live , loved and lost.